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Dramatis Personae et Dramatis Feles

(in order of significant appearance)

Family:

Jean Lucey Pratt, a reliable narrator, 1909–1986

George Percy Pratt, Jean’s father, an architect

Sarah Jane Pratt (née Lucey), Jean’s mother, a concert pianist, died in 1922 when Jean was thirteen

Leslie Vernon Pratt, her brother, born 1901, engineer with Cable & Wireless

Ethel Mary Watson, later Pratt, her stepmother

Prince, the family Airedale

The Joliffe family: Aunt N. is Jean’s father’s sister, Joyce is her cousin

Margaret (Maggie) Royan, one of Ethel’s sisters, Jean’s first cousin

Elsie Watson, Jean’s other step-aunt

Aunt Jane, on her father’s side, an early loss

Ivy, Leslie’s wife

Ethel Lucey Pratt (Babs), now Everett, daughter of Leslie and Ivy

Martin Pratt, a cousin, a touring companion, RAF

Friends and acquaintances from youth, university and early travels:

Arthur Ainsworth, ex-Boys’ Brigade, kissed Jean’s hair

Jean Rotherham, an early crush

Lavender Norris, another early crush, an early tragedy

Miss Wilmott (A.W.), a significant teacher, another early crush

Joyce Coates, a lasting friend from architecture school

Harold Dagley, a disappointing young man

Lugi/Luigi, real name Dorothy Cargill, another friend from architecture class

Valerie Honour, née Buck, friend from Wembley, (much) better than Jean at tennis, wife to Jack

Gus, also known as Peter, real name Geoffrey Harris, significant long-term friend, actor/writer/interior decorator, pen name Heron Carvic, flamboyant

Phyllis Terry, his actress companion, part of the Terry thespian dynasty

Roy Gornold, delicate and opinionated family friend, artistic tendencies

Joan Bulbulion, a confidant since architecture days

Vahan Bulbulion, her architect husband, Armenian, increasingly annoying

Constance Oliver, artist friend, free spirit, casualty of war

Olive Briggs, tragedian

Eva May Glanville (Mary Kate), university friend

David Aberdeen, architecture student, another fleeting fancy, later famous in his field

Chris Naude, horny South African diplomat on trip to Russia

Mr Wildman, the stand-in vicar

Hugh Patrick (Bill), possible Jamaican hook-up, wife in Truro

Neville, cabin dweller, advantage taker

Marjorie ‘Nockie/Nicola’ Nockolds, latterly just ‘N.’, enduring friend from journalism course, complicated friendship

Colin Wintle (sometimes Winkle), marriage material in Bath

Dick Sheppard, successful architect, favoured rebel, disabled

Gwen Silvester, ballroom dancing teacher, sister of dancer/bandleader Victor

Charles Scrimshaw, possible beau, good at glancing

Alan Devereaux, appalling marriage material, ‘conventionally unconventional’, lusts for cream cakes

Monica Haddow, friend, possibly addicted to masturbation, fellow visitor to …

Gordon Howe, influential Harley Street psychotherapist

Friends and acquaintances from Wee Cottage, the war and beyond:

Josephine Norris, friend, hypochondriac, ghost-like lover of the actor Leslie Howard

Lady Spicer, generous next-door neighbour

Kathleen Moneypenny, owner of Wee Cottage

D.F., or Francis, good sense of humour, bad nails, goes all the way

Tommy Hughes, a fellow aluminium worker, a lover, a doctor

Jean Macfarlane, an old school chum, legal father

Mac (also M., or Mellas or Alan), Jean’s obsession, married and unpredictable, bit of a shit

Hugh Laming, soldier, journalist, friend from Malta, lover of Lillian Gish, lover of Jean, great letter writer

Maritza, his Greek wife

Lydia, a work colleague, a decorator, fellow Mac user

Michael Sadleir, a novelist

Thomas Sadleir, a genealogist, a mentor

Peggy Denny (P.D.), formerly Penny Harding, wife of architect Valentine Harding, fellow Liberal campaigner, dresses like autumn

Clinton G.F., a despised post-war suitor

D.B., another post-war suitor, met on return journey from Portugal

R.W., a girlfriend at the alloys company, reliable source of gossip

Lady B.P., a large, opinionated local friend, often annoying

Miss Drumm, a property owner, a benefactor

Ralph L., an attractive art teacher

Angela, a lanky young shop assistant

N.G., a picture framer, Angela’s pash

Lizzie, adventurous painter friend

Mrs V.N., worried about Liz’s mental health

Alison Uttley, obliging children’s author

Rolf Harris, unnaturally popular at Jean’s book stall

The cars, in order of rusting:

A Fiat, circa 1925, father’s, once made it to Cornwall

1947 Ford Prefect, cost £40, known as Freddie, rust bucket, got her to Slough and back (ten miles total)

1954 Ford Anglia, bought in 1965. ‘Astounding bargain.’

1964 Morris 1000 Traveller, known as Jolly Morris when it worked, purchased late 1969

1964 Singer Vogue, £150 in 1972, tricky switches

Mini Morris Traveller G. reg., purchased 1976; rusted

Suzie Min, Mini Traveller, purchased 1979, radiator collapses soon after

Standard Mini, purchased 1981, got her to Wexham hospital

The cats, in memoriam:

Cheeta, Dinah, Ginger Tom (visitor), Suzie, Little Titch, The Kittyhawk, Ping, Pong, Twinkle, Joey, Squib, Pepper, Walrus, Pharaoh (formerly Tom-Tit), Starlet, The Damned Spot, Pinkie, Pewter Puss, The Senator, Walter, Nicky, Pye, Bumphrey (Bum), Pinnie, Priss, MaryAnne, Buster, George, Tweezle, Mitzie, Jubie.